There are many methods to promote businesses online and with the advance of web 2.0 or the social Internet, further opportunities have developed for the business looking to get ahead in their marketing efforts. Social networking enables business owners to leverage the powerful social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, Squidoo, Twitter, and more in order to build a reputation, generate more leads, and keep in regular contact with those leads. …read more
Word of mouth marketing has long been the desired choice for businesses. A customer that arrived through word of mouth has directly cost your business nothing but will arrive with a sense of trust and respect for your business. They will already be pre-sold on the concept of what it is you offer and all thanks to the efforts you’ve put in with previous customers in order to generate such a good reputation.
In terms of word of mouth marketing, reputation really is everything. Whether you’re operating online or offline, your brand should always be the first one that people think of and by offering a top quality product or service, friendly customer service, and exceptional after sales support you can expect great referrals from your existing customers.
However, word of mouth marketing can be much more than this, especially on the Internet. Viral marketing is the term that has been adopted to basically incorporate virtual word of mouth marketing. By developing a high quality website or offering content or giving away something of value it is possible to create a buzz even among those that are not your customers.
Word of mouth marketing can come in the shape of forwarded emails between friends, colleagues, and others with similar interests. It can also mean free advertising on social media and social news websites as well as industry websites but above all it is without doubt one of the most desirable forms of marketing your business.
The perception of value is critical. Even giving a product or service away for free is no guarantee that the word will be spread. The item has to be perceived as being valuable, useful, informational, or helpful in some way. If you can achieve this then word of mouth marketing could become one of your biggest assets.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is widely heralded as being one of the least inexpensive, most effective, and highly targeted methods of generating traffic for a website but what exactly is it and can anybody do it? …read more
Selling products or services online, usually referred to as e-commerce, has become the way to go for many small businesses. It can turn a small local enterprise into a global, world leading brand although this obviously takes a lot of time and effort but it also reduces overheads, minimises workload, and offers you greater potential to access new and potentially profitable sources of customers. So, what’s needed to sell your products or services online?
A Plan
The planning stage of e-commerce is the most important. You first need to outline your goal by setting up online. Will the Internet be your sole source of sales? Will you be using the web to promote your physical stores or shops? You need to be able to answer these questions before you even consider contacting a developer, although a good developer will certainly be able to help you work through many of the steps and answer a lot of your questions.
The Website
Whether you’re intending to manage a simple brochure page that gives details of how to find your physical store or you will be managing hundreds of different products in your own e-commerce store you’re going to need a website. There are tools to help you build your own but if you don’t have any experience in design, development, and to a degree, marketing, then it is best left to the professionals. A poorly designed site can instantly turn visitors away and, worse still, send them to your direct competitors as a result.
Shopping Cart
If you intend to sell products directly on your website then you will need some form of shopping cart software. This software enables you to add and display products, categorise them, and add price and postage details. More advanced options can include cross product promotion, gallery pictures, and even detailed sales and traffic reports. There are many shopping cart options available to you and your best option is to discuss your needs and wants with your developer, because they will be responsible for installing the software.
Payment Processor
To sell items online you need to be able to accept payments online. Service providers may be able to get away with requesting bank transfers or BACS payments to a large degree but offering the option of credit and debit card payments will almost certainly enable you to reap greater rewards. Services like PayPal, Moneybookers, and NoChex can be integrated into your website without the need for a merchant account.
Traffic
The best designed site with the most intuitive interface, the most competitive prices, and the most appealing products will still not yield results until you generate traffic for your website. The Internet is literally awash with methods to promote a site and help you sell your products or services.